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FOUNDRY
"World Rattles 'Round"
CD Review by Jay Burstein -
Good Times Magazine
"...I'm sure, at very least, that you'll agree with my ultimate assessment; Foundry is great!"
This CD is absolutely fantastic! I would like to end the review on that note and just recommend that you get this L I band's debut CD and see for yourself. I generally don't like to gush in public, but I will anyway. When I heard this disc for the first time, by the time I got to the second song, I was so impressed that I had to track down the band to ask, "Where the hell did you guys come from, and where are you playing next?"
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Doug Kwartler has scored big, really big, putting together a tremendously gifted band whose exceptional musicianship is instantly recognizable. Kwartler has managed to integrate folk's earnest protest, Springsteen's somber side, Tom Petty's country roots rock, and everything he has heard and learned from the likes of Dylan, the Stones, the Byrds, the Allmans, and the Dead.
In remarkable fashion, this quintet of talented musicians makes it all come together with style. Finding similarities with other artists is subjective, but it is sometimes useful as a frame of reference. The title song still has me spinning, reminding me of Dylan's much covered "Maggie's Farm," whereas "Main Street's Shut Down" is cut from the same magic that launched the Grateful Dead. On one hand, "Bus" offers an element of alternative, while "Lucy," the album's final track, offers a heapin' helpin' of down home rockabilly that is a pure joy. Get the disc and see if you agree with my comparisons.
I'm sure, at very least, that you'll agree with my ultimate assessment; Foundry is great!
- Jay Burstein
FOUNDRY
"World Rattles 'Round"
CD Review by Bill Frater -
Freight Train Boogie Web Radio
"...the best independent release I've heard this year so far."
4-STARS
Foundry is mostly a labor of love of lead singer Doug Kwartler. He not only wrote and produced everything but he sings and plays a huge assortment of instruments, and fortunately, he has a lot of talent.
His voice reminds me a little of Son Volt's Jay Farrar and his songs are full of rootsy hooks and ripe with social commentary. Two songs, "Main Street's Shut Down" and America Uncovered" are especially topical and really hit home.
The five-piece band, (they're from Long Island), has a cohesive and tight sound, they probably smoke in a live setting. Their sound ranges from soft acoustic pieces to jaunty Tom Petty-ish rockers with layers of chiming guitars. Mark Spencer, from Blood Oranges adds some stellar lap steel guitar.
The production is top notch and I have to say this is a very impressive debut CD and the best independent release I've heard this year so far.
- Bill Frater
“…ONE OF THE TOP INDEPENDENT RELEASES OF THE YEAR…”
It's tough to pin down Foundry's musical style. They're an eclectic mix of sounds and influences from all over the alt-country genre, yet they manage to pull most of them off with aplomb.
The CD starts out with an electric feel as jangly guitars infuse "It Matters" with a sense of urgency that pulls you in from the get-go. "World Rattles Round" impresses with the way it combines rock guitar with what is at heart a country shuffle. The music works so well that you don't immediately realize you're listening to social commentary with an environmental theme. "Bus" follows, and its laid-back feel reminiscent of bands like Buckeye and Nadine makes it the track I'll definitely put on my mix tape in the car. Witty lyrics about a cross-country trip in search of the girl that left are an added bonus.
Next, Foundry ventures into Appalachian territory. "Main Street's Shut Down" has a bluegrass flavor that conjures an appropriate atmosphere for its' depiction of a small town at midnight. The band returns to Son Volt territory on "Another Sundown", which features touches of harmonica that don't overpower the song (something many bands in the genre could learn from). "To Live" is another unique track that begins in ballad mode and transforms into a rock song.
Luckily, Doug Kwartler has a rugged voice and vocal style which seems equally at home on rockers or ballads. There are echoes of Bruce Springsteen in it which seem appropriate for "America Uncovered" as Doug laments "America, America where are you now? In your past and in your songs, Buried pieces of the wrongs you allowed." The socially conscious lyrics continue on "Another Man Has Died", which questions the death penalty. The melange of sounds takes a rockabilly turn on "Lucy" and the album closes with a hidden track that's well worth checking out. It has a bizarre feel that reminded me of the Gourds.
Though Foundry never turns their various influences into a cohesive whole, this unique record has to be one of the top independent releases of the year just for its' unpredictability and experimentation.
- 3 1/2 stars
Discography
World Rattles 'Round - full-length CD
"For The Rest of My Life" - Twin Towers Fund Tribute Song
"On The Beat (Doin' My Job) - Benefit song for the Daniel Pearl Foundation
Give Me A Reason To Live - Full length CD due out spring 2003
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
"It's all about the song," says lead-singer and songwriter, Doug Kwartler about his band, Foundry.
Kwartler is adamant about what he calls, "the songs needs." "It's not about the band or egos. Whatever the song requires is what we strive to put into it -- nothing more, nothing less."
In spring 2003, Hollow Body Records will release the long awaited second CD from Foundry. A now Four-piece outfit from the New York City / Long Island area, Foundry combines rock, country, folk, blues and rockabilly to create a unique sound. The band is also known for its frenetic live concerts that showcase tasteful musicianship with Springsteen-like energy. The new CD, entitled, Give Me A Reason To Live, will feature a more "live" sound than their first release, World Rattles 'Round.
When listening to "It Matters," the first track off the band's debut CD, World Rattles 'Round, and in watching this group perform live, one gets the sense that Foundry puts its heart, soul and every ounce of energy these guys can muster up into "it." While delving further into the disc, the listener discovers songs incorporating stories of American life, politics, love and a search for a sense of purpose, all featuring uncompromising musicianship, tasteful arrangements, twangy guitars and melody driven hooks. The CD has been called, " the best independent release this year " by Bill Frater of Freight Train Boogie.com, and the Alt. Country Page says, "...this unique record has to be one of the top independent releases of the year."
Influences start to unfold immediately when listening to the album. Folk inspired rock artists such as Springsteen, Tom Petty and Dylan are apparent on songs like "It Matters," "World Rattles 'Round," "Need A Friend," and "Guthrie." Country Rock artists such as Dwight Yoakam, The Mavericks and Gram Parsons are evident on songs such as "Main Street's Shut Down," "Another Sundown," and "Bus." Additionally, the rockabilly influences of Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and Brian Setzer shine through on "Lucy," the disc's final track.
The band has been busy. Foundry recently played a number of shows from Nashville to Boston and back home again in the New York area. During that span, they found time to write and record two tribute songs. The first, a tribute song benefiting the official Twin Towers Fund, that featured over 60 New York firefighters and police officers singing on the record. The song, which recently garnered a lead story on Long Island's top television news station, is offered as an MP3 download on the band's web site for a suggested $1.00 donation towards the fund and has currently been downloaded over 1100 times in just a few months. The second song is a tribute to Daniel Pearl, the journalist recently murdered in Pakistan.
Over four-years ago Doug Kwartler, a Long Island based singer / songwriter originally with the Long Island band, Wheel, placed an ad in a local music magazine seeking out musicians who enjoyed playing "guitar-oriented folk-rock songs." While Wheel was successful, (actually playing its last show in May, 1997 in front of thousands of New Yorkers at Shea Stadium,) Kwartler's songs were being influenced by the other member's progressive backgrounds. For Foundry, Kwartler sought out players who were interested in playing folk / rock song orientated music. He first met with drummer Michael Leuci. Leuci was also looking to join a song-oriented band. Leuci, who after 5 years left to pursue his own project, has been replaced by Sean Minardi - who adds his own high-energy beat keeping to Foundry's roots rock.
Next to join was blues influenced lead-guitarist / background vocalist Mark Crosson. Crosson, brought up on a strict diet of Allmans, Stones, Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray, was also looking to expand into more country and folk styles and saw Foundry as a perfect fit. Jim Leach, Foundry's bassist joined next. Leach's background and experience as a multi-style player has proven invaluable
Now in full gear, Foundry has become one of the premier original bands in the Long Island / NY area with accomplishments including: being selected to play at the first-annual Nashville New Music Conference, finishing as top 10 finalists in the 2000 Long Island Music Festival, playing at the 2001, 2002 and 2003 Millennium Music festivals in Harrisburg, PA, playing at the 2003 West Virginia Music Conference, playing at the 2002 Rock and Roll ½ Marathon in Virginia Beach, VA, and also performing at the respected Hellcountry Americana music showcase in Boston, MA, this past June. Their CD has received rave reviews and has sold in countries around the world including Germany, UK, Italy, Belgium, Japan and the United States. Over the last year Foundry has played shows all over the eastern ½ of the U.S. including: Nashville TN, Boston MA, Hartford CT, Cleveland OH, Harrisburg PA and New York NY.
World Rattles 'Round was recorded over a two-year period with some of its songs being written and recorded
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